At Wangshu Inn in Liyue Harbor, after Li Mo had finished with the system matters and taken a sip of tea, he began to tell the story of his eighth life.
Below, when the audience heard that the eighth life had returned to Mondstadt and that his identity was an adventurer, they began to speculate eagerly.
As Li Mo spoke, the Electro energy above the inn coalesced once more into vivid projections.
The images showed the Adventurers' Guild.
Inside the guild hall, adventurers sat in chairs, enjoying wine from the Dawn Winery. Some were looking for commissions, others exchanging information. Every one of them carried various weapons, a clear sign of their martial prowess. Indeed, only strong skills allowed these adventurers to survive mission after mission.
But what puzzled people was that in one corner of the hall sat five or six old men with white hair. Judging by their attire, these old fellows—seemingly on the verge of the grave—were also registered adventurers. And they each held an Adventurer's Badge.
"Have you heard? Just yesterday, a group of young adventurers discovered a giant heart on Dragonspine. It's still beating!"
"Really? Whose heart is it?"
"Who knows? Definitely not human. That heart is as big as a house. Just imagine how massive the body must have been!"
"I heard there are crimson crystals around that heart that bring warmth to frozen adventurers, saving quite a few who were about to freeze to death."
"Ah, to be young again, able to venture deep into Dragonspine. We old folks can only watch from the outskirts."
The elderly adventurers sat around a table, gossiping about the latest adventures. Though their bodies were old, their passion for adventure had not diminished with age. If anything, they were even more eager for gossip—about some expedition finding a long-lost treasure, about a key member jumping to another team. Such things happened almost every day.
But the real reason they had gathered today was not to gossip. They wanted to plan something big. One last grand adventure.
"With so many people finding treasures on Dragonspine, it's become really popular. How about we go check it out ourselves?"
"No way. We're too old. We can't handle the cold."
"Then how about Starfell Valley? That was our old stomping ground."
Remembering their glorious adventuring days, the old men's faces lit up with satisfied smiles. To grow old with such memories was a blessing.
"Starfell Valley? That place has been picked over again and again, dug up three feet deep. What treasures could be left?"
"Let's go see what new commissions are available. Maybe there's something fresh."
With that, the old adventurers rose from their chairs and headed to the guild counter, where they saw the young, beautiful receptionist.
"Miss Katheryne, do you have any interesting commissions? Lay them on us."
Though they were old, their passion for adventure remained undimmed.
At the counter, Katheryne looked at the elderly adventurers with some surprise. Weren't these old-timers retired yet? At their age, could they still complete commissions? Despite her doubts, she respected them greatly.
She brought out a stack of commission papers: Dragonspine exploration, assistance to the Knights of Favonius, slaying evil dragons. From among these dangerous tasks, she picked the simplest one.
"This one should suit you. Apart from the low reward, it has no drawbacks."
She handed the paper to the old men. They eagerly crowded together and read the commission.
[Commission]: Catch Bass
[Requirement]: Catch ten bass from Cider Lake and deliver them to the Knights of Favonius
[Reward]: 10,000 Mora
The old adventurers were dumbfounded. Catching fish in Cider Lake? Delivering them to the Knights? They called this an adventure commission? They were experienced adventurers, not fishermen. How could they accept such a trivial task?
One of them slapped the paper onto the counter. "Fishing? No way. Show us something fresh."
Under their insistence, Katheryne finally handed over the stack of commissions for them to choose themselves.
"Explore Dragonspine—can't do that."
"Assist the Knights of Favonius—not interesting."
"Explore the Valley of Despair—"
"The Valley of Despair? What place is that? We've never heard of it."
The old adventurers were curious. They had been in the Adventurers' Guild for decades but had never heard of the Valley of Despair.
Hearing the name, Katheryne's expression flickered.
"The Valley of Despair appeared in Mondstadt not long ago. It is filled with unquenchable flames and deafening thunder. Several adventuring teams have already been wiped out there. Adventurers call it the Valley of Despair because it fills them with despair. Some speculate it might be connected to the nation of Pyro—Natlan."
Even Katheryne spoke of the valley with gravity. Though the teams that had been wiped out were only low-level adventurers, no one dared to take the commission to explore it anymore.
She tried to take back the paper, but the old adventurer stepped back, avoiding her hand.
"A valley that fills people with despair? Several teams wiped out? Interesting. We'll take this commission."